Both women were pictured on the company's Web site, which was taken down Friday afternoon. Both locations of Healing Hands in Augusta and Thomson were also closed and phone messages were not returned.

Mrs. Parsons died Thursday afternoon, and Ms. Sears was shot about six hours later.

Ms. Sears told investigators she was walking to her vehicle when a man she did not know appeared from the rear of the building and brandished a pistol.

She said she turned to go back inside when a gunshot grazed both legs.

Ms. Sears told police the man said if she "didn't have his money it would be her face."

He then ran toward a wooded area. Police found a .22-caliber shell casing at the scene, according to the sheriff's office report.

Mrs. Parsons is believed to have been attacked at her home in Columbia County about 9 a.m. Wednesday after return- ing home from dropping her son off at school.

The homes of both women on Hot Springs Drive appeared to have been broken into, and police said Thursday they believe Mrs. Parsons had interrupted a burglary.

An autopsy conducted at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Atlanta confirmed Friday that Mrs. Parsons died of blunt force head trauma, Columbia County Deputy Coroner Harriett Garrison said.

Both Columbia and Richmond county sheriff's offices are working together on her homicide, Capt. Morris said.

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lylagirl, what do you mean they don't want people to know foul play is at hand. Obviously foul play is at hand. A woman is dead and another shot. Why take a shot at law enforcement. Still mad about that DUI or whatever????

The lady that got shot says that he was that age. If they didn't live right next door to each other, both get burglarized the same day, both work in the same place, I wouldn't think they were related, but please.

I was told that Ms. Parsons quit her job to become a stay at home mom and that Wednesday was her first day home. Her husband was also out of town. That's the day she was beaten. I believe both ladies or families are targets and are in danger. This is not a random act. This is somewhat of an assassination by party or parties who are brutal. I also believe that there is more than one party to this crime. There are probably going to be some deep dark secrets coming out of this incident.

This "his money" sounds like he was owed something, but it's hard to determine exactly what someone meant by the comment. We can only speculate. I wouldn't expect the victim to tell police something like that if she was involved in something, but you might saying anything after a bullet flies at you.

It was only her and the guy-if it were an honest quote from him-then it would leave one to speculate it was either a case of mistaken identity-all us white folk look alike or she didn't hear him correctly?

bamaman: you don't think they could have been waiting for her? The report yesterday said they found her in the garage- but there was blood in the house as well. She could have walked in, seen what was happenign turned to run back to the car to try and get away....